The present invention relates to a digital video signal recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing video signals in the form of coded signals and, more particularly, to recording, reproducing and searching for coded signals having a predefined format that represent moving pictures and still pictures.
In a conventional video recording and reproducing apparatus, such as a video cassette recorder (VCR) or a camcorder, video signals representing moving pictures are recorded on a tape for subsequent reproduction. To advance or reverse the tape so that reproduction of the moving pictures begins from a desired position, the tape is searched or cued for an INDEX ID, a five second signal recorded at the desired position. As an example, FIG. 1 shows a portion of a video tape representing the end of a Program 1 and the beginning of a Program 2. An INDEX ID is recorded at the beginning of Program 2 for high speed cuing. To begin reproduction at the beginning of Program 2, the conventional video recording apparatus first searches for this INDEX ID and, upon finding the INDEX ID, begins reproduction.
The conventional cuing method has the drawback that it is only effective when cuing a desired position in a series of moving pictures recorded for a time greater than the five second INDEX ID interval. In a camcorder in which still pictures as well as moving pictures are recorded, the still pictures are recorded for a time much shorter than the five second INDEX ID interval, and the conventional cuing method cannot be used to search for a recorded still picture.
A further drawback of the above-described conventional cuing method is that searches for a desired position on a tape using information other than the INDEX ID symbol, such as recording time and date or recording content, are also desired.